Casablanca // A Humbling, Informative Six-Day Adventure in Morocco

 Something about this trip changed the way I perceive the power I have as a photographer; the images I take and share have the potential to shape the perception of a place, or even a person- for better or worse. Casablanca was full of stark contrasts, and it felt dishonest to document only the vibrant, colourful bazaars and then turn the corner and put my camera down at the sight of extreme poverty. Sometimes it was hard to judge where the line was between being respectful as a foreigner, and being honest as a photographer. I found myself consistently hyper-aware of my intentions each time I raised my camera to capture something, and I spent a lot of time reflecting on my intentions behind photo documentation as a whole. It’s a lesson I’m still trying to learn and I definitely don’t know all the answers, but I welcome the learning curve.

Our time in this city was a unique experience as it was, but to top it off, our travel dates lined up with Ramadan. The city was relatively quiet during the day, but when we ventured out in the evenings to find food, we were amazed by the transformative buzz in the air as the streets came to life. I miss the peppermint tea!

I’ll leave you with a few fun pieces of travel wisdom: 1) when crossing the street, pay attention to your surroundings and not to google maps- otherwise you might find yourself in the type of pickle where your phone is ripped out of your hands by men driving by on a motorcycle and they’ll laugh at you as they drive away and you’ll feel a bit defeated 2) it’s handy if you (or a pal) can speak Arabic or French in order to communicate effectively with the tourist police 3) the back of a police van isn’t particularly comfy 4) look for the moments of kindness when you find yourself in a bit of a pickle and it’ll all be okay. That’s all for now, thanks for reading!